Wire-stretcher.



UNITED .STATES ATENT FICE WALTER ZEBULIN BRANNON, OF BRAZOS, TEXAS.

WIRE-STRETCHER.

SPECIFICATION forming part-'Of LettelS Patent N0. 693,227, datedFebruary 1 l, 1902.

Application filed .Tune 2l, 1901. Serial No. 65,454. (No model.) I

To ctZZ whom, t mctyconcern:

Beit known that I, WALTER ZEBULIN BRAN- NON, a citizen of the UnitedStates, anda resident of Brazos, in the county of 4Palo Pinto and Stateof Texas, have invented a new and Improved Wire-Stretcher, of which thefollowing is a full, clear, and exact description.

The purpose of the invention is to provide a simple form of device forstretching wire,

said device being adapted for attachment toY a post or other support andto the Wire to be stretched, and to so construct the device that throughthe movement oi'a lever and two gripping-arms, the latter traveling uponthe element to which the Wire is attached, said element by one movementof the lever will be carried in a direction to place the wire underrenewed tension, one gripping-arm acting to bring about such a result,the other grippingarm acting to hold the Wire under tension While theactuating-arm is advanced for another grip, the locking-arm being freeto travel upon the wire-holding elemeutwhile the actuating-arm is inaction.

The invention consists in the novel construction and combination of theseveral parts, as will be hereinafter fully set forth, and pointed outin the claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part ofthis specification, in which similar characters of referenceindicate'corresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure 1 is a plan view of the improved wire-stretcher. Fig. 2 is atransverse section taken on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is atransverse section taken on the line 3 3 of Fig. 1, and Fig. 4 is adetail view of a portion of the link connected with the lever and a planand partial sectional view of the-actuating-arm carried by the saidlink.

A represents a body-bar, which is providedl with an eye 10 at one end,to which eye a section 11 is connected, adapted to carry any form ofWire-gripping device. A block 12 is mounted to slide on the body-barY A,which body-bar is preferably circular in cross-section, and-at what maybe termed the rear end of the block 12 a hook 14 is pivotally attachedthrough the medium of a link 13, the hook being adapted for engagementWith a post of a Wire fence or any near-by support.

. At the opposite or forward end of the block 12 a loop 15 is formed,which receives the free end of what I term a locking-arm 16, which armhas au aperture extending through from face to face to accommodate thebody-bar A, and a Washer 17 is loosely mounted on the body-bar, havingbearing against the end of the block 12 at which the loop 15 is located,While a spring 18 is coiled around the bodybar, having bearing againstthe said Washer and the apertured portion of the said lockingarm,normallyholding the locking-arm -16 at an inclination in direction ofthe block 12.

A lever 19 is fulcrumed upon the block 12, and an actuating-arm 20 isapertured to receive the body-bar A at a point in advance of thelocking-arm, the said actuating-arm being pivotally connected at one endwith a link 21, Which is pivotally secured to the 1ever 19, as is bestshown in Fig. 1. The actuating-.arm 2O is held at an inclination awayfrom the sliding block 12 or at an inclination the reverse of thelocking-arm 16 through the medium of a spring 22, having bearing againstthe inner face of the actuating-arm and a bearing upon the link 21.

In operation the hook 14 is placed in engagement with a post or asimilar support adjacent to the strand of wire to be stretched, and thewire is secured in the clamp carried by the section 1l, above referredto, and connected With the body-bar A. The lever 19 is then given athrow in direction of the Wire to be stretched,- causing theactuating-arm 20 to slide on the body-bar toward the Wire, While thelocking-arm 16 remains stationary, holding the body-bar AA in the sameposition. Next the lever 19 is carried in the reverse direction or awayfrom the wire, and at such time the actuating-arm 20 Will bite upon thebody-bar A and will carry the said body-bar away from the Wire, placingit under tension, the locking-arm being at such time released fromgripping engagement with the body-bar, permitting the saidbody-bar tomove in the direction mentioned; but as soon as the lever 19 is carriedin direction of thevvire to cause the actuating-arm to obtain anotherhold on the body-bar A the locking-arm 16 Will hold the body-bar frommoving, thus maintaining the tension already applied to the Wire.

IOO

Having thus described my invention, I claim as newr and desire to secureby Letters Patentl. Awire-stretcher consisting of abody-bar adapted forconnection to the end of a wire to be stretched, a block mounted toslide onthe bod y-bar, a guide-loop connected with one end of saidblock, a post-gripping device carried at the other end of said block, alever pivoted to the sliding block between the ends of the latter, alink pivoted to said lever, locking and actuating arms mounted forsliding and gripping engagement upon the body-bar, the actuating-armbeing attached to the said link and the free end of the locking-armengaging the loop on the said sliding block, and a spring on thebody-bar, between the sliding block and the locking arm, substantiallyas described.

2. In a wire-stretcher, a body-bar adapted for attachment to one end ofa wire to be stretched, a block held to slide on the bodybar, a hookpivotally connected with one end of said sliding block, a loop pivotedto the opposite end of said sliding block, a spring-coutrolledlocking-arm mounted to slide on the body-bar and grip the same, the freeend of said locking-arm extending through the loop on the sliding block,a lever pivoted to the sliding block at a point between the pivoted hookand the loop, a link connected at one end with said lever, and aspring-controlled actuatingarm pivotcd to the other end of said link andhaving sliding and gripping engagement with the body-bar, the lockingand actuating arms having inclination in opposite directions.

3. In a wire-stretcher, the combination,with a body-barhaviug means forattachment to an end of a Wire to be stretched, ablock mounted to slideon the body-bar, a hook having a link connection with one end of theblock, aguideloop located at the opposite end of the block, alocking-arm having an aperture through which the body-bar passes, thefree end of the locking-arm entering the said guide-loop of the block, aWasher loosely mounted on the body-bar and engaging that end of theblock at which the loop is located, and a spring coiled around the bodybar and bearing against the said washer, and the apertured portion ofsaid locking-arm, of a lever pivoted upon said block, a link pivoted tosaid lever, and a spring-controlled actuating-arm pivoted to said link,the actuating-arm being provided with an aperture through which thebody-bar passes, the locking and actuating arms being normally inclinedin opposite directions, as and for the purpose specified.

In testimony whereof I have signed my naine to this specication in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

VALTER ZEBULIN BRANNON. Witnesses: l

J. G. ALLEN, J H. GILBERT.

